Gas generator



Dec. 13, 1932. F c, REENE 1,890,606

7 GAS GENERATOR Filed Dec. 9. 1927 INVENTOR.

fraid C @zvewz 9 9 0% ATTORNEYS Patented Dec. 13, 1932 PATENT OFFICE FRANK G. GREENE, F MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN GAS GENERATOR Application filed December 9, 1927. Serial No. 238,976.

The present invention, as indicated, relates to a coal appliance unit, and more particularly to that type of unit in which slack coal is utilized to generate fuel gas, which gas, in turn,'is burned to evolve the desired heat. The primary object of the invention is to provide such a unit which will be automatic in its operation, which will be rugged and practically Vfool proof, and which will be eflicient in its operation. To the accomplishment of the foregoing and related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means hereinafter fully described and particularly pointed out in the claims. The annexed drawing and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting, however, but one of various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention may be used.

In said annexed drawing:

The single figure is a vertical section through a device of the type indicated.

The heating unit includes a firepot 1 having vertical side walls 2' provided with an external helical thread 3. Approximately midway of the height of the firepot 1 it is provided with a secondary wall 4 which is inclined to form a hopper, as is clearly shown in the figure. The dead space 5 between the walls .2 and 4 maybe filled with insulating material if desired. At a level slightly below the bottom end of the wall 2, the wall 4 is upturned to form a sharp edge 6, the upturned portion 7 being flattened to form a bearing portion 8. Ash ejector open ings 9, of which only one is shown, are formed in the lower portion of the wall 4 in the angle formed between said wall and the upturned portion 7. Such openings are inclined at an angle of about to the vertical and run from bottom to top in the direction of rotation of said firepot 1. The bearing portion 8 is providedwith a smooth bore 10 for the reception of a studbolt 11 secured thereto by a nut 12 and a pin 13.

A gas off-take tube 14 is mounted on the bearing portion. 8 and is held thereon by means of the bolt 11 extending into an aperture in the lower portion 15 thereof. The

the bosh adjacent said apertures. storage hopper 33 having a discharge openlng 34 1s tube 14 is provided with serrations 16 at its lower end bearing on the bottom of the inclined portion 4 of the firepot 1. Narrow slits 17 are formed in the gas off-take tube within the inclined portion 4 of the firepot. These slits are nonradial, being inclined from their inner to their outerends in the direction of rotation of the firepot 1. It will be seen that the coal within the firepot will be prevented from entering such slits by the angular positioning thereof, since the tendency will be for the fuel to be carried past the open mouths of said slits. The tube 14 extends upwardly to a point well beyond the upper end of the firepot 1 and is formed at its upper end with a lateral flange 18 provided with an upstanding annular flange 19. Adjacent the band of the flange 18 the tube 14 is provided with a plurality of up wardly and inwardly inclined tapped holes 20 for the reception of bushings 21 having apertures 22 therethrough.

A stationary bosh 23 surrounds the firepot 1 with its internal surface rifled as at 23 and in contact with the thread 3 of the firepot. The bosh 23 is provided at its upper end with a narrow flange 24 on which rests an air shield 25 comprising a cylindrical port on 26surro-unding the upper end of the gas take-oif tube 14 and spaced therefrom, and a lateral flange 27 resting upon the flange 24 of the bosh 23 and spaced below the flange 18 of the tube 14. The air shield 25 is providedwith an upstanding annular flange 25 similar to the flange 19, and said flange is attach d to the flange 18 of the tube 14, whereby the flange 27 and the flange 18 form an air passage 28. The upstanding flange of the air shield 25 is provided with a plurality of apertures which are adapted to be controlled by a ring valve 29 mounted on the periphery of the air shield flange. Y

A feed hopper 30 is secured to the lower end of the firepot 1 and is provided on its largest periphery with gear teeth 30. Apertures 31 are formed in the lower end of the bo h 23. and vanes 32 bearing on the inclined wall of the feed hopper 30 are carried by secured to the bosh 23 and separated therefrom by insulation and a weighted drop door 36 is provided to control the supply of fuel from the storage hopper 33 to the feed hopper 30. In the operation of the device, this drop door 36 will be controlled in its operation by the height of the bed of fuel 37 which is contained within the feed hopper 30. It will be understood that said door 36 is hinged at its one end and free at its other end, said door extending from its hinge in the direction of rotation of the firepot 1. Thus, the door 36 will'remain open until such time as the coal bedin the hopper 30 has been built up to such a height as almost to contact the lower end of the mouthiof the hopper 33 when the door 36 dragging on the top of such fuel-coal bed, will be forced to its closed position.

Supported on the bracket 38 attached to the bosh 23 is a motor 39 driving a belt 40 which rotates areduction gearing, indicated generally at 41, mountedon a second bracket 42 and terminating in a small gear 43 meshing with the teeth 30 of the feed hopper gear. A regulating or control element 44 is likewise mounted on the bracket 38. This control element may be actuated by thermostatic means and controls the speed of the motor 39. The control element 44 further carries a segmental pinion 45 in mesh with an idler pinion 46 carried on a support 47 from the bosh 23 and meshing with a segmental rack 48 attached to the ring valve 29. An ash container 49 is adapted to be mounted beneath the firepot 1, and is provided with a series of holes 49' to provide for a supply of air through the ash ejector apertures 9 to effect combustion of any excess carbon which may be among the ashes in the bottom of the firepot.

The operation of the device is as-follows: When the motor 39 is set in operation by the control element 44, it drives the reduction gear 41 which, in turn, rotates the feed hopper 30. Fuel, such as slack coal. flows from the storagehopper 33 into the feed hopper 30, and the rotation of said feed hopper carries the fuel around the bosh23 and into contact with the vanes 32 which direct the'fuel through the apertures 31 and into the space defined between the bosh 23 and the wall 2 of the firepot l. The fuel is thus forced onto the helical thread 3 of the firepot, the

frictional engagement between the fuel mass and the internal wall of the bosh being greater than that between the fuel mass and the external wall of the firepot. such fuel is carried u wardly to the top of the firepot 1 and is discharged into theinterior of said firepot. 1

Preferably. Water is dripped onto the coal mass in the hopper 30 so that such coal is damp when it is fed into the space defined between thefirepot 1 and the ,bosh 23. As

. of the air shield 25. The incoming air is thus preheated by radiation of the hot gases in the gas off-take tube 14.

The device is so proportioned that both the coal and the air enter the firepot at a suitable temperature for the sequent gas generating reactions, whlch, as Wlll be readily understood by those skilled in the art to which my invention pertains, is an optimum tem iierature for high reactivity of ordinary slack coal.

The relation between the speed of the motor and the opening of the valve 29 issuch that the air supply is never sufficient to bring about complete combustion of the coal, and consequently the combustion which does take place evolves quantities of gases deficient in oxygen. It will be understood that ordinary producer gas is thus generated and leaves the firepot through the slits 17 in the gas offtake tube 14 and is thus carried to a point of use. The steam generated from the moisture contained in the fuel fed to the coal appliance unit reacts with the incandescent. fuel in the lirepot to form water gas which mixes with the producer gas and is likewise carried off through the tube 14.

It will be understood that a portion of the air drawn through the passage 28 will be bypassed through the ports 22 and into the upper end of the gas off-take tube 14 where it will mix with the gases generated in the firepot to produce a combustible mixture. In case, then, it is desired to use the gas thus, the valve 29 is allowed to remain open to a greater or less extent. The degree of opening I I of the valve 29 will, when the members 45, 46 33 and 48, are engaged, depend upon the actuation of the control element 44. Thus, if the control element 44 has been actuated to operate the motor 39 at a high speed, the valve 29 will be widely opened, whereas, if the motor 39 is operated relatively slowly, the valve 29 will be only slightly opened. It is quite obvious that such relativity between the speed of the motor and the size of the opening of the valve 29 is desirable, since when the motor is operated at high speed, a relatively large volume of fuel will be supplied to the firepot and a consequently large volume of air is required to react with said.

fuel and to mix with the generated gases when by-passed through the bushing 21 to produce a combustible mixture.

In case it is desired to use the above described construct on for the purpose of generating gas to be burned at a remote point, 11

or to be stored, solid plugs may be substituted for the bushings 21, thus sealing the apertures 20 to prevent access of air to the gas ofi-take tube 14. It will be readily understood that such substitution prevents the formation of a combustible mixture adjacent the flange 18.

As the firepot is rotated about the stationary gas take-0E tube 14, the ashes at the bottom of the firepot are prevented from rotation by the serrations 16 and the inclined holes 9 exert a scooping effect on said stationarily held ashes, whereby said ashes are forced outof the firepot and into the ash container 49.

It will be seen that I have provided an apparatus in which coal and air are fed to the firepot of such apparatus in the desired proportions for generating gases deficient in oxygen, and in which such coal and air are fed into said firepot by a counterfiow whereby said coal and air are preheated to an optimum temperature.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

I therefore particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. A fuel gas generator comprising a firepot, a gas off-take extending into said firepot and provided with slots for access of gas into said gas off-take, an air intake disposed concentrically about said gas offtake above said firepot and automatic means for feeding coal to said firepot.

2. A fuel gas generator comprising a rotatable firepot, a stationary bosh surrounding said firepot and extending thereabove, a hopper attached to said firepot and rotatable therewith, said hopper surrounding the lower end of said bosh, and said bosh being formed with apertures providing communication between said hopper and the space defined between said bosh and said firepot, and a reservoir adapted to feed coal into said hopper.

8. A fuel gas generator comprising a rotatable firepot, a stationary bosh surrounding said firepot and extending thereabove, a hopper attached to said firepot and rotatable therewith, said hopper surrounding the lower end of said bosh, and said bosh being formed with apertures providing communication between said hopper and the space defined be tween said bosh and said firepot, a reservoir adapted to feed coal into said hopper, and means including said firepot and bosh adapted to raise coal from said hopper and deposit it in the open upper end of said firepot.

4. A fuel gas generator comprising a rotatable firepot, a stationary boshv surrounding said firepot and extending thereabove, a hopper attached to said firepot and rotatable therewith, said hopper surrounding the lower end of said bosh, and said bosh being formed with apertures providing communicationbetween said hopper and the space defined between said bosh and said firepot, a reservoir adapted to feed coal into said hopper, and vanes carried by said bosh adjacent said apertures and adapted to direct the coal so fed through said apertures.

5. A fuel gas generator comprising a rotatable firepot, a stationary bosh surrounding said firepot and extending thereabove, a hopper attached to said firepot and rotatable therewith, said hopper surrounding the lower end of said bosh, and said bosh being formed with apertures providing communication between said hopper and the space defined between said bosh and said firepot, a reservoir adapted to feed coal into said hopper, vanes carried by said bosh adjacent said apertures and adapted to direct the coal so fed through said apertures, and a thread carried by said firepot and contacting the inner cylindrical surface of said bosh and adapted to receive the coal directed through said apertures and raise it to the open upper end of said firepot.

6. A fuel gas generator comprising a rotatable firepot, a hopper attached to said firepot and rotatable therewith, a coal reservoir mounted adjacent said firepot and having a mouth opening into said hopper, and auto- 'matically actuated means in said reservoir FRANK O. GREENE. 

